The pattern was set when Schofield, handing over to Lemon's floating weather map report, said: "I must warn you what you're about to witness will either be television gold or go very badly wrong."

Both, as it turned out.

There followed a pitch invasion by a bloke intent on proposing to his girlfriend but who ended up floundering in the water and breaking off a southern tip of Britain, like a fanatical Isle of Wight separatist.

Then things fully disintegrated during a quiz game for past and present hosts.

Judy Finnigan was told the wrong start time and had to dash to her seat - the fastest she's moved since Oddbins announced its autumn sale.

Dr Chris was bent over Richard Madeley with his back to camera, obscuring the view of everyone, when his mic failed.

And the buzzers didn't work until the final round. At least they would have if the questions could be loaded into the Autocue. To quizmaster Stephen Mulhern's despair, they couldn't.

So, Schofe put his earpiece back in, the game was abandoned and they went to a break. On his return he said: "I have seldom had a better time."